Corn-planter



(No Modem l 2 sheets-sheen Y1. E. R. PROCTER.

CORN PLANTER.

n j Patented Apr. 22, 18

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1 (No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 2.

E. R. PROGTER.

CORN PLANTBB..

No. 426,212. Patented Apr. 22, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDlVlN PROOTER, OF VASHINGTON COURT-HOUSE, OHIO.

CORN-PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 426,212, dated April 22, 1890.

Application filed January 30, 1889. Serial No. 298,149. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN R. PROCTER, of Washington Court-House, Fayette county, Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvenient in Corn-Planters, of which the following is a specification.

My improvements are designed for what are known as sulky eorn-planters-such as are adapted to plant several rows simultaneously, either in hills or in drills, and to be drawn over the ground by animal-power, the driver sitting upon the machine; but my improvements are more particularly designed to improve Procters corn planter, patent dated January 5, 1886, No. 333,547, in which device 4the seed-delivery is operated by projections or tappets upon a shiftable clutchplate capable of being coupled to one of the groundwhee1s and provided with automatic markers and means whereby the ground-delivery is rendered capable of being adjusted to exact coincidence with the marking action.

The objects of my improvements are, first, to provide auxiliary or companion hill-mark ers to those on the tappet side of the machine, so that when turning at the endof a through there will be markenprints on the ground alongside of the tire-tracks of both bearing wheels to guide the operator instead of one track only having such prints; second, to provide means by which the two ground-wheels can be made at will to rotate at one and the same speed, so that auxiliary markers clutched fast to one wheel and in alignment with those on the opposite or tappet wheel cannot get ahead-1. e., rotate faster than the markers clutched to wheel upon opposite or tappet wheel, and vice versa; third, to provide means to lessen the jar consequent upon the tappets i'n the course of revolution striking in succession the heel of seedlelivery rockshaft; fourth, to improve the furrowbpening and seed-covering devices and at the same time lessen the horse motion; fifth, to provide an improved axle; sixth, to provide an improved axle-stock and planter-frameg seventh, to provide an improved marker.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a rear view, part sectional, part elevation, showing the twopart or divided axle for hillplanting in its noi1=eifective condition, e.,

with clutches of axles open,) the seed-delivery-operating clutch-plate with its hill-markers, and the auxiliary hill-marker clutch. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the auxiliary hilLmarker clutch. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the heel of rockshaft and a tappet with an anti jar or friction roller in section. Fig. 4 is a top view of the machine in working condition, except that the axle-clutches are disengaged. (They should be engaged for hill-planting, while for drill-planting it is immaterial, there being no hills to mark.) Fig. 5 is my improved marker. Fig. G is a longitudinal section with the drag bars and their attachments in the operative position. Fig. 7 is a section through an axlejournal. Fig. S is a section through the abutting ends of axles, showing the axle-clutches open or disengaged. Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section with the drag-bars and their attachments raised and fastened into the non-operative position.

A may represent any suitable frame having the supplementary transverse bar A', fastened by the clips a" a" to the axle-journals Q Q', attached to opposite ends of the axlestock A". The frame A is supported by the two-part axle B B' on the ground-wheels C C', fast on the parts B and B', respectively, and is provided with any suitable or customary means D for attachment of the draft-animals. The said-f rame A has attached in rear of the axle three equidistant seed-boxes G G G" (the latter is not shown, but is a counterpart of G) attached also to bar A. The said boxes have suitable seed-delivery slides H, operated as shown and described in Procters patent of January 5, 1886, No. 333,547, which coact with the adjacent mechanism to deliver the seed to the hill through the receiving ends K of the furrow-openers L and in rear of the latter. The shoes L are fastened between the drag-bars N N at their forward ends by the bolts L', and at their rear ends are suspended between the ends of the straps P, attached to bars N N, and are made fast to said straps P bythe bolts O, and are capable of vertical adjustment in the series of holes o in the ends of said straps P. Suspended loosely on the bolt vr between the forward ends of bars N N and in advance of shoe L are the hangers N' N', having at their IOO top and rear end the friction-roller R', rotatf ing on the bolt fr", joining the top ends of said hangers. At the lower or forward ends of said hangers is the rolling cutter R, rotating on its axle-bolt r. Hinged to said bolt o, and straddling the top or forward portion of cutter R, is the fork N", whose tanged end passes loosely through the staple n', fast on the front transverse bar of frame A, and is provided at its extremity, which is threaded, with the nut n' by means of which the height (or depth)' of cutter R from top of ground may be adjusted. as a scraper to the cutter R to remove dirt from the cutting-edge of the latter.

The drag-bars N N are attached at their forward ends in any suitable manner to front of frame A. At their rear ends, which are preferably lof. unequal length, they are provided with the covering-blades S S, bolted through adjustable clamps 19 19 to the ends of bars N N.

At the rear end of the frame A is the draglifting bar U and the wheel-scraper bar S', journaled in the boxes u a and u u', respectively. The drag-lifting bar U' has the lever U and theequidistant arms a a a', having the depending chains T T T fastened conveniently, one chain to each drag-bar.

Loosely attached by the eyebolt c to lthe longitudinal brace A' con nectingtransverse bars A and A", is a locking-bar U", having the series of notches c. Apin a on lever U, being engaged in one of these notches, serves to maintain the drag-bars in the elevated condition shown in Fig. 9.

As the operator raises the dragbars from the ground the friction-rollers R on the top and rear ends of cutter-hangers'N N' of the several sets of drag-bars are brought simultaneously into contactwith the under sides of the depressing-bars a a a, attached to frame A, thus causing the upper rear ends of said hangers to move automatically back along the under side of said bars a a a, thus raising up and throwingforward the lower ends of said hangers, and consequently the rolling cutters R attached thereto.

The scraper-bar S has at opposite ends the blades S S" and is provided intermediate with a lever S', having' the lip l. The said lip, by engaging one of the series of notches inside the rack S attached to machineframe, serves to hold the scraper-blades in their operative position on the wheel-tires, as in Fig. 9.

My improved axle is preferably formed from a hollow cylinder or tubing, and is a two-part axle B B', capable of revolving as one, journaled .in axle-boxes Q Q', attached to opposite sides of frame A. Upon the outer and cylindrical ends of these fixed boxes are sleeved the slidable clutch-plates XV and W', respectively, the former carrying the tappet mechanism and adjacent hill-markers, the latter (or V') the auxiliary l1ill-1narkcrs only. The axle-boxes Q Q have on their top faces The fork N serves also the blocks B" B', respectively, the said boxes and blocks being bolted together and to the axle-stock A by the bolts S S' S S', said bolts S and S' also serving to fasten the hinges 16 and 17 of the rock-shaft 5 to the top side of axle-stock A. In addition to the main bearings q q the axles B B are provided with the supplementary bearings q q at inner ends of boxes Q Q to steady the axles, as well as to afford bearings to axle-collars b b', fastened by set-screws or suitable keys to axles B B', respectively, so as to prevent the abutting ends of axles from moving outward when in motion. At the. base of axle-boxes, where they rest on the frame A, are the perforated lugs t t, lapping down on the outsides of said frame and adapted to contain the threaded ends of the truss-rod T', said ends being fitted with nuts, so as to adjust the tension of said rod. The combination of the axle-stock A", fastened at its ends to the boxes Q Q', with the rod T' likewise fastened, forms a light and stiff trussed girder, to which the stock A" and the rod T' are the top and bottom chords, respectively.

The seeddelivery-operating clutch-.andtappet mechanism in the present device is in the main the same as in Procters patent, No. 333,547, above mentioned, except that the slidable clutclrplate WV, which in the above patent moved upon a stationary axle, in the present devicel is sleeved upon the cylindrical outer end of a stationary axle-box Q, the axle now revolving and the ground-wheel with it. Convenient to the operator are .the levers Z Z, hinged to the ends of axle-stock A" and provided at theirlower and forked .ends with the links Y, connecting with the yokes X, loosely seated in circumferential grooves in the hubs of clutches NV and WV', by means of which the said slidable clutches WV and XV may be moved upon the cylindrical outer ends of the boxes Q and Q', respectively, in or out of engagement with the fixed clutch-plates V and V on the ground-wheels. The levers Z Z have the gravitylatches .e z, capable of engagement in the notches l 1 of the racks 2,

so as to hold the slidable clutches XV and W either in or out of engagement with the fixed clutch-plates V and V. The clutch-plate XV has an annular series of equidistant holes w for attachmentof .any desired number of tappets 3 at equal distances around said plate.

ln the present device the parts are so proportioned that four tappets operate to discharge grain at the prescribed distance between consecutive hills and in the same manner forhilhplanting as in Procters patent, No. 333,547, except that a series of frictionwheels 3 are fitted on the tappets 3, so that the jar consequent upon the tappets in the course of revolution striking in succession the heel 4 of the r'ocker 5 is softened.

Provision exists in the present device, as in my patent, No. 333,547,ifor attachmentof sufficient numbers of. tappets and rollers for drill-planting.

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The hill-markers 12 are preferably fastened tightly on the ends of metallic tubes 13, which are attached near their other ends to the faces of the cluteli-plates XV and lV by clips 11. By loosening said clips the tubes 13 can be readily adjusted in or out from the axle, the said clips being loosened by unserewing the nuts fitted to the threaded ends of clips on the backs of clutch-plates.

In operating the machine, as described in Procterspatent, No. 333,547, above mentioned, hill-markers 12 on slidable clutch XV are provided. to indicate the places of alternate hills, so as to enable the operator to see where seed has been dropped and by so doing bring the droppings of each successive through in alignment with those of its predecessor. I find hill-markers on one side only inconvenient, because when the operatorhas turned to the right (he cannot always turn to the left) at the end of a through, and has started the machine down another through, the markerprints (on the ground) last made in the finished through are so far to one side of the operator as te be hardly distinguishable by him from the drivers seat. Therefore I provide in the present device a slidable clutch-plate lV, with hill-markers 12, similar to those on plate lV, thus to afford prints on the ground alongside of both ivlieehtraclts. I find in practice, also, that when the wheels C C on the 'opposite sides of the machine were allowed to run free and independent of each other the wheel carrying the tappet mechanism would run slower than the opposite wheel, inasmuch as the striking of tappets on the heel, of rock-shaft retards very perceptibly the tappet-bearing wheel. In other words, the cnotappet wheel. out-runs the tappet-wheel, and consequently the prints made on the ground by the no-tappet wheel are, soon after the machine starts from one end of the field, out of alignment-. e., in advance of those made by the tappetfwheel. To obviate this inequality of revolution, I

.fasten the ground-wheels C C', through their hubs, by the pins 15, te the parts l respectively, of the revolving axle jonrnaled in the boxes Q Q.

Near the transverse center of the machine where the two parts of axle abut, are attached the toothed clutches 7 and S, the fermer fastened by the pin E on axle B, the latter (or 8) slidable lengthwise of axle B', but yet held to one place, so as te revolve with said axle, by the key E', fast in axle, and whose ends proj ecting beyond the periphery of axle are inclosed in key-slots y in the clutch S. The clutch S is held engaged with clutch 7 by the helical spring I1. The teeth of these axle-clutches 7 and 8 mesh, `and when the teeth of clutch S are held engaged with those ot' clutch 7 the two-part axle l5 ll becomes as one piece, revolving in the boxes Q Q on opposite sides of the machine, with the Wheels C C fast upon it. In operation, as in hillplanting, where it is desired to have the hill-markers on the opposite sides of the machine (after they have been set into line with each other) rotate iii unison and thus preserve the alignment made at the start, the two-part axles are locked together, as above described, and when the end of the through is reached the operator, pulling toward himself the top end of forked leverlf, which is hinged to axle-stock A, can disengage the clutch S from its companion 7, so that the two pai-ts of the axle, and consequently the ground-wlieels, are free to revolve independently-fi. c., one wheel can roll back while the other rolls forward-and thus the machine can be readily turned in another direction. The lever f has its lower end forked to engage the groove g of clutch S, and is provided near its top end with a projecting pin f', which is capable of being engaged by the bent shoulder of the gravitylatch f, hinged to A, thus holding the clutch S in the inoperative position shown.

Near the transverse center of the axle-stock A is fastened a vertical strut T forked at its lower extremity to receive the truss-rod T and adapted to serve as a supplementary support to the axle. The seat-upright F', attached at its lower end to middle transverse bar of frame A, carries the seat F, adj ristably attached on its upper end, and is provided at said end with lateral braces it, attached at their lower ends to bar A. Attached to the middle bar of frame A is the foot-restF, titted with the traiisversely-sliding hook F, Wliicli,wlieii hooked over the inner end nl. of marker M, holds said marker in its operative position on either side of the machine. Said inarkerconsists of a pole M, of suitable length, having a fixed runner M at one end and an eyebolt m fastened intermediate between the ends. In operation, when said eyebolt is dropped over the pin M on either side of machine, the ruimer M being on the ground, the liool; F engaging the end m of marker, holds the latter in its operative condition, yet affords the play required by the runner M moving or floating over rough groundsurfaces. Vith this improved marker M, I avoid all necessityof the operator getting off of the machine to transfer the markerfrom side to side of the frame, as is usual where there is a rope or other attachment from runner M or from pele M forward to thehoises or the front of the machine-frame.l

'hen not in use, t-he marker M, being diS- engaged from both the hook and the pin, may be carried lying crosswise of the machine. By tightening the nuts fitted on the threaded ends of truss-rod T the strut T on the said rod and attached to the axle-stoel: can be forced upward, so as to correct any sagging dowii of said axle-stock, and therefore of the axle connected with it.

The rolling cutters R when in the ground serve, from the lateral resistance they offer, as stays or rudders to prevent the oscillation from side to side of the machine whenever IOC IOS

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the horses fail to step or pull in unison. They tion to their proximity to front of the machine-frame. The use of friction-rollers 3 on the tappets 3 not only softens the jar, but the Wear .on the Working-face of heel 4 is lessened.

The ,use of a tubular form ,of axle affords the greatest strength in proportion to weight 1 1883, No. 283,459) has a wheel-scraperactuated` A modied form of my axle-boxes would be to omit, outside of the dotted line, Fig. 7, the cylindrical outer ends q q lof the boxes Q Q, and what thenwouldrbe the outer ends .of Q Qa would serve as bearing for the axle, in l which case the slidable clutah-plates W and i W would be sleeved directly on the (now exof material.

posed to view) revolving axle.

A modified form of attachment of tubular arms 13 to the clutch plates Iwould be by meansy of setfscrewa-the inner or axle ends .of said arms being inserted as far as required in suitable bearings integral withsaid plates The axle B B is ionrneled in the ver-.tical strut T. i Therefore an adjustment o,t' said strut adjusts and the `said screws tightened.

the Seid 'axlelaln aware ythat e grain-drill (Shephard, De y eenlber' 2, 1879, N0- 222,316) having a two-f part revolving axle carrying fixed wheels has been provided with mechanism (pawl and` ratchet) which, while it did not compel equal revolution of the said Wheels, soarranged that the revolving action 1of either half-axle,

unaffected by the other half, propelled a Seeddeliveryactuating sleeve ,common .to both axles when the machine was in .motion in any f direction. I am aware, also, lthat. La sulhy-harrow (Bix, November ,21, 1882, No. 267 ,f7 .1;8) has been provided .with a\.f.1ussbrace L to ob,-

viate the danger Aof the frameor the f ront and rear beams of same warpingor springing. I

am aware, `also, that a corn-planter (Vaughan, October 25, 1870, No. 108,656) having Yan undivided axle j ournaled in boxes at its ends 3 and ,carrying lloosely-hinged wheels hasv been provided withclutch mechanisms fit-ted upon the axle .(splined, presumably) and adapted to fasten at will tothe respective ground-wheels, said clutch mechanisms being fitted with radial arms provided with hillmarlingand seed-actuatin g deliveryends, and arranged so that the turning of the axle `by I hand will turn the ends of said arms forward or back, e., when the said Aclutch mechanisms are unlocked from the wheels.) I am aware, also, that acorn-planter (Procter, .Ianuary 5, 1886, No. 333517) has beenm'ade with seed delivery and hillmarking operating clutch-,and-tappet mechanism .attachable to a ground-Wheel pivoted on aiixedaxle, the hillmarking being 4conined to one side of the machine. I am aware, also, that a seedingmachine (Myers da Cottom, February 24, 1885, No. 313,013) provides a lifting-lever which has a bearing-arm carrying a lifting-chain, said chain not being directly attached to the parts to be lifted, but to .an arm `by which a rock-shaft carrying other arms is actuated to lift the drag-bars. I am aware,`also, that a graindrill (Koeller, January 22, 1884, No. 292,235) has a ycatch 7c', designed to hold the loosely-pivoted lifting-lever from projecting rearwardly and in the way of the operator when not in working position, I am aware, also, that a corn-planter (Bapple, August 21,

by a non-locking foot-lever. I am aware, also, that a corn-planter l(Runstetler, July 10, 1883, No. 281,204) has a stationary tubular axle in one piece bolted tothe frame of the machine and on which the wheels are journaled by means of revolving sleeves C, to which they are connected and on which they are laterally adjustable. I am aware, also, that a cornplanter (Hartsock, .I une 25, 1878, No. 205,264) provides radial marker-arms fastened .on the axle in alignment with yeach other and having adjustable sleeved marker-heads. Hence I disclaim invention in those features which my present improvements have in common with all of the above-mentioned inventions. Y

I claim as my inventionl. In acorn-planter, in combination, a rigid frame, two axle-boxes attached on opposite sides .of l.said frame, a two-part revolving axle capable of being locked together as if in .one piece, j onrnaled in said boxes, and supported On two ground-wheels, a seed-delivery and hillmarking koperatin g Yclutch and tappet mechanism adapted to .engage a iixed AVclutch on o ne ground-wheel and revolve with it, and a hill-marking-operating clutch adapted to engage asimilar fixed clutch .on the ,opposite wheel of planter, for the purpose stated.

2. In acorn-planter, the dual hill-marking mechanism .connected by the revolving twopart hollow Laxle vcarrying the ground-Wheels fast on opposite ends of same, said axle being capable of revolving as .one homogeneous axle or as two separate parts by means of toothed clutches on the abutting parts ot' the axle, one of said Aclutches being splined on one part of axle and the other vclutch fast on its IOO axle and adapted to move the one in or'out gagement with the other, for the purpose stated.

3. In la corn-planter, in combination, a wheel C, having the ,clutch V, an axle B, journaled to revolve ina iixed box Q a plate NV, mounted to revolve on said box Q and capable of .engagement with said clutch V, a clutch -7, ixed ,on said axle B, a clutch 8, splined on axle B', aiixed box Q,in whichY said axle B revolves `and on which the plate W is mounted .to revolve, and a wheel C', having the clutch V with which the plate W is capable of engagement, substantially as and for the purpose stated.

4l. In a `corn-planter, the combination, with a revolving axle, two ground-wheels fast on the same, and means whereby the said wheels can be made to revolve at unequal speed or the same speed at will, of the clutch-plates V X7', iixed to said wheels, respectively, clutchplates XXT W', sliding on the axle-boxes Q. Q', respectively, the plate XXv having an annular series of holes tu, tappets in said holes, and rollers on tappets, grain-delivery slide, means for connecting` said tappets and said slide, and yoke X, secured to the circumferential groove in the said sliding clutcheplate, and the plate XXI, having a similar yoke X, similarly seated to that on plate XV, and both XX'r and XV having levers Z, having latches z, racks 2, having notches Il, and links Y, connecting said levers and said yokes, for the purpose stated.

5. In a corn-planter, a rigid frame A, sets of drag-bars N N, attached in any customary manner to the front transverse bar of said frame, and a cutterR, suspended on axle-bolt o" on hangers N' N', located between the forward ends of said drag-bars, said hangers be ing hinged between bars N N on the bolt r' and provided with a roller R' at the top end, in combination with the depressing-bars a u' J and a, attached to the under side of said frame, for the purpose stated.

G. In a corn-planter having a rigid frame A, the drag-bars N N, attached as customary to the front transverse bar of said frame, covering-blades S S, adjustably attached to said bars, a shoe L, fastened to and between the said drag-bars, and a cutter R, suspended on axle-bolt lr on hangers N N', said hangers being hinged between bars N N on the bolt r' and provided with a roller R' at the top end, in combination with the depressing-bars a e' and a, attached to the under side of said frame, for the purpose stated.

7. In a corn-planter having a rigid frame, in combination, the drag-bars N, attached by the bolts n to the front transverse bar of said frame, covering-blades S, having the adj ust able clamps 19, the shoe L, having the top K and adjustable en the transverse bolt O, attachable to ends of strap P, having the series of bolt-holes 0, the bolt L', the rolling cutter R, hinged on the axle-bolt r, which is jour naled in the hangers N', joined at their top ends by the bolt 1",carrying the frictionroller R and hinged on the bolt fr' between said drag-bars, the forked rod N, hinged on said bolt r and guided at its threaded free end, which has the nut n", by the staple n', and the depressing-bars o. a and d', for the purpose stated.

S. In a corirplanter, in combination, dragbars attached as customary to the front bar of 1nachine-frame, a furrow-opening shoe attached between said bars near their rear ends, covering-blades at the rear ends, a rolling cutter suspended on hangers between the forward ends of said drag-bars and provided with means by which the said cutters are automatically raised from the ground when the rear ends of said drag-bars are raised, and with means also by which the depth of rolling cutter may be regulated, for the purpose stated.

9. In a corn-1i lanter, the combination, with drag-bars attached as customary to the frontof frame, of a rolling cutterlooselysuspended between the forward ends of said drag-bars and provided with a guide-rod forked at its rear end, which is hinged on the axle-bolt of said cutter and threaded and nutted at its forward end, which nieves freely in a loop or staple on the front of the frame, for the purpose stated.

10. In a corn-planter, a marker consisting of a pole havinga runner or head on one end, a shoulder on the other end, and an intermediate slot or eye, the said marker being held in operative position by vertical pins on opposite sides of frame adapted to engage the said eye, and a hook near transverse center of machine-frame adapted to engage the said shoulder, for the purpose stated.

ll. In acorlrplanter, the combination,with two vertical pins, one of them proj eeting from upper surface of each side of planter-frame` at points near the front of said frame, and a ring orhook sliding crosswise of the machine on a bar fastened on the top of said frame forward of the axle and parallel to the same, of a pole having a marker-head at theground end, a recess or shoulder at the other end, anda slot or eye on pole intermediate between the ends of same to receive said pins, for the purpose stated.

l2. In a corn-planter, the combination, with pins INI and the hook I1" of the marker M, having the head M', the eyebolt lm, and the1 end on', for the purpose stated.

13. In a corn-planter, in combination, a tubular revolving axlein two parts capable of being locked together as if in one piece and supported on ground-wheels fixed on the ends of said axle, a seed-deliveryandhillemarking operating clutch and tappet mechanism adapted to engage a fixed clutch on one ground-wheel and revolve with it, and a hillmarkingoperating clutch adapted to engage a similar fixed clutch on the opposite wheel of planter, for the purpose stated.

In testimony of which invention I have hereunto set my hand.

EDXVIN R. PROCTER.

Attest:

P. J. JONES, D'. W. C. LEE.

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